Board Members Present

DRAFT GENERAL MEETING MINUTES

EAST PASSYUNK CROSSING CIVIC ASSOCIATION and TOWN WATCH

Monday, January 5, 2009, 7:00 p.m.

St. Agnes Continuing Care Center

1900 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
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Board Members Present: Roger Bruno, Kim Buckwalter, Josephine Cardillo, Melody Damis, Sean Doyle, Beth Dougherty, Darren Fava, Margaret Kalalian, Joseph F. Marino, Martha (“Pat“) Pitt, Bob Reilly, Millie Ruffino
Board Members Absent: Sarah Ausprich, Marnie Hall, Christopher Johnson,
Darren Fava called meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.
Agenda approval:

Motion 1: Be it moved that the agenda of the EPX general meeting of 1/5/09 be approved as submitted. Moved by Nettie DiFlorio, seconded by Jenelle Harriff. Motion carried unanimously.

December ‘09 Minutes Approval: Must make spelling correction of Jenelle Harriff’s first name.

Motion 1: Be it moved that the minutes of the EPX general meeting of 1/5/09 be approved as submitted with above correction. Moved Jenelle Harriff, seconded by Pat Pitt. Motion carried unanimously.

Co-chair Report/Governance Functions - Joseph F. Marino In addition to routine operation functions of EPX, such as Web page updates, check-signing, and regular meetings with Co-chair Fava:
1) EPX office concerns, including proposed operating budget, overseeing of shed construction.
2) Met repeatedly w/interim new EPA BID Executive Director Renée Gillinger and attended their Economic Development Committee meeting.
3) Coordinated EPX Board holiday party.
4) Assisted corresponding secretary in mailing holiday cards to EPX patrons.
5) Assisted treasurer in identifying values for in-kind donations for tax purposes.
6) Agreed to chair EPA BID membership meeting in late January.
7) Secured account documents for and from St. Edmond’s Bank regarding new accounts.
8) Fostered used-coat drive.
9) Orchestrated (w/co-chair Fava) reconfiguration of EPX Board reporting capacities.
10) Assisted subcommittee on charitable giving.

Co-chair Report - D. Fava
- Worked on EPX newsletter, copies of which distributed at this meeting.
- Plan for South Broad Street gateway still in initial study phase. Working

on RFPs for designers, planners. Will be seeking more community input.

- Meeting w/Mural Arts Program on art project for South Philly project re

Immigrant experience.

- Helped new corresponding secretary, Chris Johnson, with production of

EPX ‘08 Christmas cards.

Recording Secretary - J. Cardillo

Very active w/EPX’s charitable-giving subcommittee for holidays.

Treasurer's Report – M. Ruffino (MR)
- As of 12/31/08, all EPX banking is @ St. Edmond’s Bank.
- 12/31/08 balance: $4,108.38

1,200.00 - earmarked for spec. projects

- In December, EPX spent $1300 on holiday-giving, plus distributed donated items by general members.


Clean & Green – S. Ausprich (absent) - No report in SA’s absence. See epcrossing.org Website for information.

Marketing and Events - M. Hall (absent) Per Darren Fava:

- Newsletter is complete; need o start working on next one ASAP.

- Committee will work on creation of 2010 EPX calendar.

- Next event: Spring EPXtravaganza

Membership – K. Migliarese

Welcomed six new signups this evening.

Public Safety - M. Damis

- Next Town Watch walk: Wednesday, 1/7/09, 8 p.m., meeting @ EPX office.

- Next Public Safety Meeting: Monday, 1/19/09, 8 p.m., EPX office.

Zoning and Planning – M. Kalalian
1) Bella Rosa II Bar The bar has been closed down by PA Attorney General due to narcotics sales in and around bar. Current owner has worked out settlement agreement with the PA Attorney General’s office. Buyer, Jonathan Klein, expects to have liquor license transferred to him.
2) 1640 South Broad Street Hometown Hostel case rescheduled for 1/21/09, 5 p.m., for special hearing @ ZBA. The South Broad Street Civic Association is against such use @ this property, and EPX supports SBS.
3) 1726 South 13^th Street Hearing scheduled for 3/24/08, 9:30 a.m., for application to convert to two-family dwelling. Notice is required to be posted on 3/12/09. Owner, Ms. Tang, will meet w/EPX community members @ 2/25/09 EPX Zoning and Planning Committee meeting; flyers announcing same will be posted. Petitions are being circulated within neighborhood; anyone living within 500 feet of this property can sign same.

Old Business:
1) Shed has been erected behind EPX office for clean-and-green supplies. Thanks to Nate, Edwin Landy, Kim Buckwalter for all of their help on this. EPX’s physical plant is now all in place.
2) $3,000 008-2009 PAF Grant has been received by EPX for purchase of office equipment: camera, laptops, printer/copy/scanner/fax machine.
3) EPX Charitable Giving Project

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  For Thanksgiving, EPX worked with Philadelphia Access Center (11^th and Mifflin) in creating, assembling, distributing provisions for Thanksgiving dinner for eight needy area families.
  
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  For Christmas: Acme and Walmart gift cards were donated to four area families (ascertained via St. Nick’s and Southwark School). Area family who lost home in fire also received EPX donations.
  
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  Must start this project earlier in the year for future donations.
  
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  A BIG THANKS TO ALL EPX MEMBERS WHO SO GENEROUSLY DONATED THIS YEAR!!
  

PRESENTATION: New EPA BID Executive Director, Renée Gillinger:

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  Street-cleaning three days/week on Passyunk from Broad to Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar.
  
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  Holiday lighting to continue to be year-round.
  
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  Workshops to be offered to business owners on recycling. BID get support from Streets Dept. on this.
  
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  2009 Events schedule to include: Easter egg hunt, Flavors of the Avenue (4/25), Doo Wop/Car Show event, Back-To-School Week, Spooky Saturday, Santa on the Avenue, “Pub Crawl.”
  
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  Would also like to have “Night Out on the Avenue” events and a quarterly progressive dinner event involving EPA restaurants.
  
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  New businesses: comics/video store, new dollar store in place of old one, Sticks and Stones (gastro pub), April opening of Michael’s (in place of Roselena’s), On A Whim (1800 block). Opening date for Algerian/Moroccan restaurant (in place of Clementine’s) still undetermined. Passyunk Pharmacy may be divided into two separate store fronts.
  

New Business:
1) Used-Coat Drive “Gently” used coats being solicited. Please drop off @ EPX office.
2) Weekly Recycling starts this month. Christmas trees can be dropped off @ Gold Star Park (6^th and Wharton) on 1/10/09 for recycling.
3) EPX Board Changes - Protocol and Operating Changes:

Kathy Migliarese (KM) is newest EPX board member - filling in vacancy left by Kim Buckwalter. KM to be membership chair, Pat Pitt to become at-large member, Chris Johnson to become corresponding secretary, and at-large EPX member Lisa Shiota to be new EPX Web master.

4) M. Ruffino to send out letters to all ’08 donors to EPX for use in tax filing.
5) This year’s EPXtravaganza to take place on Saturday, 5/9/09.
6) Meeting this Thursday, 1/8/09, Newmann-Goretti, of nine civics that border South Broad Street. To be chaired by J.F. Marino.
7) Need to recruit more ACTIVE EPX members to flesh out committees. See EPX newsletter for “job description” of committees.
Announcement:

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  Thanks again to Jenelle Harriff and other Hospitality Committee members for meeting refreshments.
  
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  For EPX general meeting minutes, see epcrossing.org.
  

Adjournment: Motion 1: Be it moved that the EPX general meeting of 1/5/09 is adjourned. Moved by Scott Collins, seconded by Rose Cimino. Motion carried unanimously, 8:05 p.m.

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